Starting Hopeful
by HannaHeyes
Summary: A new Kansas school teacher writes to her sister about two certain children in her class.


New Start, New Hopes

July, 1860

To Maud Hammonds, Richmond, Virginia

Dearest Sister,

I've finally arrived here in Kansas. I can't believe I'm finally out west to make my fresh start! Well, maybe not _too_ far west, but anyway... I made it! That train ride seemed to never end. I'm getting settled here in the town of Lawrence. It's still hard for me to believe they hired me as the new school teacher! The schoolhouse isn't all that big. All the grades are in one room. But they've managed to get some new books and tell me there's about twenty children that go here. I was expecting a lot more, but I have to remind myself I'm not in the east anymore. There isn't as big a population here as there is back in Virginia. I've already got the school room ready and am now making out lesson plans. I'm so excited! I can't wait until school starts!

Love,

Sylvia

oooooasjooooo

September, 1860

Dear Maud,

Things are going better than expected! All the children, for the most part, have been well behaved so far. There's this one little boy that will ask a million questions if you let him. You can't hardly get him to hush sometimes. He has a story for everything. He seems very smart for his age. That boy's younger cousin goes to school there too and I've overheard some of their conversations. They argue, but I find it hilarious! The younger one usually stomps off while the other stands there smiling. The other children have their moments, but those two seem to be the most animated. I'm enjoying teachings kids that really want to learn. I feel content here. I'll write you again soon. Give my love to the family.

00000asj00000

November, 1860

Dear Maud,

Things are going good. Remember those two kids I was telling you about in my last letter? I've come to find that they need to be watched closely. The older one, his name is Hannibal Heyes, he's not only smart, he's clever. He gets good grades, but let me tell you, he has one more of a mischievous streak. I asked him a couple weeks ago about an incident involving a bucket of water balanced precariously on the outside of the back door where the children exit to go to recess. Coincidentally, the class bully seems to always be the first one out that door. But, Hannibal's reply to me was, "I'm not going to say I did put that bucket there, and I'm not going to say I didn't because one of those statements is a lie, and as you know, it's not right to lie." I just looked at him a little confused while he smiled at me then went outside with the rest of the children.

His cousin, Jed Curry, is just as bad. I asked him one day about rocks that kept getting thrown over the schoolhouse trying to apparently hit a can that was sitting there. All he said was, "T'weren't me.", then walked off. What could I do? Again, I didn't actually _see_ him doing it. Where you see one, the other isn't far away. And if you don't see one of them, you can almost bet that something's going on. You just can't catch them.

I know they had something to do with the kid I found hanging from a neighboring clothesline. He wasn't hanging by his neck, there were about a hundred clothes pins holding him up. I didn't actually _see_ who did it, but earlier that day, the kid hanging from the line had been picking on one of the smaller boys in a lower grade. A younger boy that Hannibal and Jed are friends with. I'll end this letter now. I'm exhausted and want to go to bed. Love to you and the family.

oooooasjooooo

January, 1861

Dear Maud,

Things are going... okay, I guess. Hannibal and Jed continue to make me anxious. Hannibal has an answer for everything. Once again, I found myself asking him if he was responsible for something and his reply was, "I plead the fifth amandment." I don't think a New York lawyer could trip this child up into confessing something.

Jed's quieter but like I said before, he's just as bad. For show and tell one day, he brought a rat. A LIVE RAT! You know I'm terrified of those things just as bad as I am snakes. I told him that he was supposed to bring something that wasn't alive and what does he do? He says, "Okay,", and lets the thing LOOSE IN THE ROOM! I couldn't help it. I climbed on top of my desk screaming for somebody to catch it. Jed then throws his hat over it and caught it. I yelled for him to take it outside and let it go. He did what I asked but was very nonchalant about it.

Oh, and apparently, Hannibal likes attention. I was asking the younger kids what squirrels eat. They said acorns. Then Hannibal stands up and says, "You know why they eat acorns? 'Cause they don't like mexican food." Where does he come up with this stuff? I'll write you more later. I need to have some lavender tea and try to relax. Love to you all.

oooooasjooooo

February, 1861

Dearest Maud,

Is there any way I could convince you to come out here and be a teacher's aid? I need help. Hannibal and Jed are really starting to frazzle my nerves. When I actually DO catch Hannibal in the act and stand him in the corner, he's not thinking about what he did. He's thinking about how he can do it again and not get caught. One day, I saw him outside selling answers to the next test. How he got them, I still don't know. Anyway, I pulled him inside and told him that I never wanted to see him doing that again. And do you know what his answer was?! He said, "Well, I suggest you close your eyes then", and just went right back outside.

Jed's obviously been around him too long. One day, I had been asking questions to be on the next test, just to help them study. Jed raised his hand so I said, "Yes, Jed?" And he asked, "Why are you asking us all these questions? You're the teacher. Ain't YOU supposed to know the answers?" Then, the following week, I was discussing how mammals make milk for their young to drink. Again, Jed raised his hand. Against my better judgment, I asked him what he wanted. He asked this question: "Whoever was the first person to look at a cow and decide to drink whatever came out of the underside of it?" I said I didn't know. Then Hannibal had to get in on the conversation and said, "Good thing they weren't looking at a bull." How do you come back to something like that? I wanted to both laugh and choke him all at the same time because the smaller kids started asking what that was supposed to mean.

I'm telling you, Maud, I'm having doubts about becoming a teacher.

oooooasjooooo

March, 1861

Dear, dear Maud,

I feel as if I'm going crazy. I've NEVER come across kids like Hannibal and Jed. I've sent notes home to their parents, and they do come back signed, but I have a sneaking suspicion the signatures have been forged. Hannibal came in one morning and told me I needed to get more sleep so I wouldn't be so proddy. All I could say was that I wished I could.

Here are some more recent replies from the world of Hannibal and Jed. I had the class studying science one day and those two ended up causing a small explosion in the building. One of them had matches. I'm going to have to start frisking them when they arrive in the morning. Anyway, I yelled, "Clean up that mess!" Hannibal turned, looked at me calmly and seriously and replied, "You better do it, Miss Hammonds. Ain't nobody can clean as good as you can." Then, the bell rang, and they just left!

Then, another day, Hannibal came to me and asked if could he be punished for something he didn't do. Well, I said of course not, that it wouldn't be fair. He got that big, dimpled smile on his face and said, "Well, then, I guess I can tell you I didn't do my homework." HE GOT ME AGAIN! A ten-year-old shouldn't be outwitting me like that!

Even Jed's got me good. One day during history, I asked where was the French/English peace treaty from 1800 signed. Jed spoke up and said, "Probably on the bottom." How can...I mean... technically, he's right... but...

The next week, the class was supposed to write an essay about an animal. I looked at Jed's and it was the exact same one his older brother had handed in about their dog. I told Jed, "This is the same as your brother's." Jed's reply: "Of course it is. It's the same dog."

The last straw that day was when I gave the class a test. I looked up and said, "Jed, I hope I didn't just see you copying Han's answers." His response: "I hope you didn't either."

I'm telling you, these two will end up terrorizing the country some day.

I'll write you later. I need a break.

April, 1861

Dear Maud,

I'm coming home.

Love,

Sylvia


End file.
